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McDonald's serves AR for World Cup

Starting this week, McDonalds will be changing the look of its chip packaging to celebrate the FIFA World Cup. The new packaging will allow customers to unlock the McDonald’s Gol AR app that lets them try their luck at a trick-shot challenge.

Customers around the globe will soon notice something different at McDonald’s. Starting this week, the brand is changing the look of its red chip packaging with new artwork to celebrate the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil. In addition, the new boxes will be the key to “unlocking” a new Augmented Reality (AR) app that will reward customers with an engaging, virtual trick-shot challenge.

“This is the first time in brand history we’re changing the packaging design of one of our customers’ most favourite menu items on a global scale, and what better reason than to share in the excitement of one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world,” said Daniel Padiachy, Marketing Director at McDonald's South Africa. “This is about bringing programming to our customers and celebrating our shared love of futbol. We’re excited to be able to do that through an engaging, interactive mobile experience, and of course with our World-Famous Fries.”

The redesign will treat customers and football fans with an exclusive collection of original street art that reflects the beauty and passion of the game. Twelve artists from around the world were chosen to create the special new designs, which will canvas McDonald’s Medium and Large fry boxes in the majority of company-owned and franchised restaurants worldwide and trigger the downloadable app, entitled “McDonald’s GOL!”

Customers can download the app and begin play as soon as they have their fry box in-hand. As the device recognizes the artwork, a soccer pitch will appear in an AR scene on the screen, with the fry box as the goal and other built-in objects as obstacles. The idea is to “kick” the ball with the flick of a finger and divert or use obstacles to get the ball into the goal.

Created for McDonald’s in collaboration with Qualcomm Connected Experiencesand Trigger, the app brings a new mobile play experience to customers using the Qualcomm Vuforia mobile vision platform. This app showcases the Vuforia platform’s new cutting-edge Smart Terrain™ feature, representing a technology breakthrough that allows users to build their own play spaces using everyday objects.

“Our digital vision at McDonald’s is to bring an entirely new level of everyday convenience and fun to the world,” says Padiachy.

“McDonald’s GOL!” will be compatible with most Android and Apple mobile devices and is available for download in the Google Play store and Apple App Store. Instructions for download will be available on the back of each specially designed fry box or can be found on gol.mcd.com. The new fry boxes will be available for the duration of the 2014 FIFA World Cup while supplies last.